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Pakistan offers to fence Afghan border

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is willing to fence off its border with Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri said on Sunday, a day after his Dutch counterpart called for greater international pressure on Islamabad to stop militants from infiltrating Afghan territory.

Kasuri renewed the offer in talks with his Dutch counterpart Bernard Bot, a ministry statement said. Kasuri also said both Pakistani and Afghan security forces should jointly monitor the border to prevent movement by militants, it said. “Bot welcomed Pakistan’s readiness to seal the border ... and said that he would discuss this with other NATO partners,” the statement said.

Pakistan has repeatedly said it is willing seal the border with Afghanistan. But officials say Kabul has rejected proposals to build a fence or mine the frontier.

Bot also praised Pakistan for its efforts in the fight against the Taliban. “Minister Bot encouraged Pakistan and Afghanistan to further strengthen and deepen their good neighbourly relations,” said a Dutch embassy statement.

Bot also told Kasuri the Netherlands was interested in stepping into development efforts in Pakistan’s tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. Kasuri reiterated a proposal for setting up of a joint economic commission and signing of an Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation and Promotion of Investments Treaty to improve economic cooperation between the two countries. Kasuri also discussed the delays in issuance of family reunion visas for Pakistani-origin community in the Netherlands with Bot, and stressed the early implementation of the Export of Social Security Benefits Agreement to enable eligible Dutch citizens of Pakistani-origin to receive their social security benefits in Pakistan. Agencies

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